I'm not sure if this has been a topic but I was curious to know. Do most of you bake your cakes from scratch or do you use box mixes?

I started out using box mixes because it decreases the cost of me making the cake. This week I'm bake a few cakes from scratch and do some taste tests with clients and also compare my costs. Controlling my cost is very important since I use liquor in all my cakes and cupcakes.

if you look through past threads or do a search the box vs scratch topic has been brought up many times.

The final consensus is you need to do what it right for you. There is no right or wrong way.

I use doctored mixes, with the exception of chocolate cake, which I use the Hershey's recipe. I spent a long time trying out white cake recipes to find an alternative for brides who did not want WASC. I found a Martha Stewart recipe that turned out pretty good, but when I offered it at a tasting, the brides really did not care for the flavor or the texture when compared to the doctored cakes. So, at least for now, doctored mixes it is. I have not tried scratch cakes with a simple syrup, and from what I have read on several threads on this site, a light coat of simple syrup makes a big difference. That will be my next experiment!

Leily is right.....You are new here but this topic has been discussed to death so whatever works for you.

Oh let's not open up this can of worms I'm a converted scratch baker with the exception of one doctored cake mix recipe that I love to use...Macsmom's Orange dreamscicle recipe. Everything else I try to make from scratch.

Really we are doing this again? Do what the first person suggested. Do a search. This is a very common and heated subject. Hoping a mod will lock this puppy down before it gets ugly up in here.

OMG - NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm from England and we don't get many boxed cake mixes here and what we do get is astronomically expensive so it is much cheaper to bake from scratch and having baked from the age of 10 I wouldn't do it any other way. However I get very envious of some of the lovely cake flavours that you guys on the other side of The Pond seem to produce having loads of box mixes to choose from.

Each to their own!

CP xx

If you click the "Report as a bad post" button on the bottom-right of the first post, the mods will take action (and hopefully lock the post with a link to the last mix vs. scratch thread).

Wow! no need for the rudeness. I simply asked a question! If it has been asked before I humbly apologize for asking again...geezzz!!!! I think I'll refrain from asking anymore questions....

This is just a sensitive topic. There are people that feel very strongly about it one way or another and it is a topic that always always ends nasty.

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-forums-search.html

You'll find many posts on the topic. But basicly you should do what you feel more comfortable, and just be honest about what you decide to do.

I understand YummyTipsyCakes. I don't post much either for the same reason. Good Luck to you. I prefer doctored box cakes because of the texture and they aren't as heavy as a scratch cake for the most part. I do make carrot and a few from scratch.

I am a soley scratch baker, I feel alot of pride in the work that I do & feel that it is becoming a lost art. My white cake is the best that anyone who has tasted it has ever had.... That being said 1000s of bakeries (no chains but fancy wedding places) use mix... But Im pretty sure they doctor them all... like the WASC recipe....

i reckon it's all opinion, just like a person's tastes. i personally am not a fan of paying $30 for a sheet cake made from a box, though, from a higher end bakery who you rather assume bakes from scratch. that's just me.

now, as my wife and i get into a cake bakery, she's already decided that she's going to bake from scratch. that's something we'll advertise, too. 'our cakes are made from scratch and never frozen.' if the local 'big time' bakery says that, it'll be a lie, but there's also the illusion that scratch made cakes are better. some are better, some ain't. depends on how good your cake is.

let me put it to you this way: do you know any bakery that boasts about making doctored box cakes? i don't. hey, they may be delicious, but i imagine a bakery that uses them keeps that information pretty close to their chest, no?

as far as costs, my wife has determined that the price is pretty much about the same. i have to take her word on that. my thing is, if there is a slightly higher cost to scratch cake, then it's worth it for her to feel proud about making them. that said, in terms of the bottom line, box cakes are probably ultimately cheaper in the long run as they go on sale. also, they can be pretty good!

and, yes, she absolutely uses simple syrup on her scratch cakes. she did some cupcakes last night, and i asked her to leave it off of some so i can see what the difference is. she was a little unthrilled with wasting some sugar, but she did it anyway just to shut me up.

anyway, that's just my opinion on it. as mentioned, there's no right or wrong. after all, it comes down to taste and texture as far as the customer is concerned, but for the baker it may be an issue of cost and personal pride. (not to impugn those what uses box mixes, mind you. my wife happens to have a particular work ethic about such things that dictates such a philosophy. it's her personal choice, as it is everyone else's.)

Really!!! People should keep their rudeness to themselves. We don't come on here for cranky cakers insults . Many of us are new to the site and don't know how it all works yet and remember you were once new too. I think that all the information on here is informative and I appreciate hearing of everyone's tips and experience no matter how many times it was discussed.

That being said, I do scratch cakes and doctored box cakes. Obviously, box is cheaper and I can appreciate you wanting to keep costs down. I do prefer the taste of scratch. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Hmm, once again, not seeing what is so offensive or rude about what has been posted so far. I don't think anyone was saying "You are so dumb for not knowing this was posted before", just reacting to the topic itself because it's been discussed to death and always goes on for pages and pages (and pages)....

Even despite that feeling toward the topic, they are still answering your question, are they not? My response is actually just copied and pasted from the other topic that started to go this way:

We've always gotten rave reviews on all of our cake flavors, and we do both mix and scratch, depending on the flavor. It's more about what we have found is well liked. If we do a box for one flavor, and people can't stop talking about how amazing it is, BINGO, we've found a winner for that flavor. Likewise, if we do a scratch recipe for another flavor, and people say it's the best cake they've ever had, BINGO, we've found a winner for that flavor! We're not going to switch to a mix for a scratch cake that people love, and we're not going to switch to a scratch for a flavor when people love the doctored mix. Why mess with success?

Well put CakeMaster!

Do what works for you and your business. It is really pretty easy. If it aint' broke, don't fix it!

FYI, I do doctored mixes, which I add very high end chocolate, fresh free range eggs, vanilla that I make myself (30 vanilla beans per fifth) fresh sour cream, fresh home grown berries (from my own berry patches) - my doctored mixes cost me all of this PLUS the cost of the mix...NO, they're NOT cheaper than my "scratch" cakes.